Disclosed herein is a method for determining media thickness in an image production device, as well as the corresponding apparatus and computer-readable medium.
One of the most important media properties that impact overall performance of an image production device is media thickness. Media thickness is a major variable that determines optimal parameters for feeding, image transfer and fusing within xerographic systems and affects print head gaps for direct marking systems. When media thickness is known, each subsystem can adjust their parameters to optimize for that thickness.
Most conventional image production devices rely on the operator entering the media type when loading the media tray. In an office environment, this information may not be accurate if it relies upon a casual operator's input. Other conventional image production devices measure media thickness within a paper transport. However, this information is only available after feeding and often provided too late for other subsystems to perform corrective action.